Awesome footage-- especially that eyewall action. It's almost a total whiteout. Just a solid, intense 'cane-- the kind we're all always dreaming about.
@CycloneJosh Thanks so much, Josh!!! Hugo was definitely an experience... I'm so happy I was able to get into this one. It would have been nice, back then, to have the type of cameras we have today... but, all in all, this was just an incredible chase. Glad you enjoyed the clip.
You just don't know what a hurricane is does and the aftermath.sleeping through a cat 3 or 4 hurricane with a family you are responsible is just so irresponsible and plain stupid.
I was almost 11 when Hugo hit the island ( the 19th is my birthday) I remember it like it was yesterday! the sound of the wind scared me at that age, know I realize that despite of all the material damage, we are a blessed island...
@MultiPepe1010 I loved ur post. I was only 1 when it hit, but i witnessed the rest of the Hurricans especially George, it was a Pretty bad Hurricane, but we were blessed.
Ive been thru Hugo & Georges and believe me..Hugo was the worst of them both..for the first time of my life I felt real horror..and that sound is the real thing..It still makes me hav goosebumps all over..Im havin it right now +_+
yo para diciembre arranque en un avion para Texas....jamas e querido pasar esa situcion otra ves....Eso fue horrible en mi vida nunca mire algo tan feo.......dios me los cuide que nunca mas les peque niguno mas......
I was 11 years old when this hurricane passed by in PR and will always remember the howling sound and destruction. A whole generation had passed without experiencing a hurricane and many didn´t take it seriously until it came upon us. We had no water or electricity for about 2 weeks afterwards,
@listorres394: I was in San Sebastian, the sun was bright and the day was awesome. We were actually planing on going to the beach. We went to visit with friends and never saw a drop of rain or a heavy breeze.
I was living in puerto rico when that hurrican hit the island .... I was just 13 years old.... Tuff time it was but that experience made me grow up quick
It is the truth, I don't mind if you believe it or not, I don't have to lie about this. I just gave my own exprience, that's it. And I think we all can write comments withou being so nasty.
Incredible footage, Michael! I saw the scenes on many documentations, even with an interview with Jim Leonard. This is one of the most incredible wind footage on the internet (together with some core footage of hurricane Charlie). Can't believe that Hugo made an equal strong landfall in North Carolina.
I was living in Ponce. While Hugo was destroying everything in the North, we had a bright sun there. Is incredible the destruction it caused, I never imagined it so.
@listorres394 Bright sun in Ponce my balls, as if the island was so big, come on. Indeed, size wise P.Rico is no Saint Thomas but it is no Cuba either. If a Hurricane hits P.R., more so a size 24 radios like Hugo; rest assure, it is felt in ALL Puerto Rico.
@brunettechocha It is the truth, I don't mind if you believe it or not, I don't have to lie about this. I just gave my own exprience, that's it. And I think we all can write comments withou being so nasty.
I was 9 and remember the zinc plates flying, the fast wind, the hard raining, after the hurricane the trees in the floor, the roofless wood houses, etc. I lived with my parents in Carolina, PR. My youngest brother's birthday was this day and I clearly remember that we sang "Happy Birthday to you..." with a cupcake and a little candle and he asked for his present, our dad answered him "Hey, what about all those winds and rain?" Sad moment for some people, but I have that good memory of this day.
I was only months old and in Aibonito Puerto Rico when it made landfall. You guys do an excellent job covering these monsters from mother nature. Keep up the good work and I hope you guys do some work here in Florida for the upcoming 2011 season. I was here in West Palm Beach for Frances Jeanne and Wilma those were back to back landfalls in 2 years time crazy stuff huh.
I was only months old and in Aibonito Puerto Rico when it made landfall. You guys do an excellent job covering these monsters from mother nature. Keep up the good work and I hope you guys do some work here in Florida for the upcoming 2011 season.
I was 19 and living in Fajardo, PR. This hurricane caught us by surprise, it was suppose to go SE by Salinas and made a last minute turn NE. It was like 5 hrs of non stop destruction. 1 month without power or running water after the storm. Brings back sad memories.
My husband always jokes that I should go to Puerto Rico during Hurricane season. I love watching disaster movies so he thinks it would be a cool experience. After watching this video, it would not be cool...it would be terrifying. I can't believe you were able to get this footage. It felt so real that i can honestly say that I have come as close to a hurricane as I want to get. Thanks :)
My husband always jokes that I should go to Puerto Rico during Hurricane season. I love watching disaster movies so he thinks it would be a cool experience. After watching this video, it would not be cool...it would be terrifying. I can't believe you were able to get this footage. It felt so real that i can honestly say that I have come as close to a hurricane as I want to get. Thanks :)
Old memories from Hurricane Hugo. I cannot believe is been more than 20 years. I was 15 years old, but I remember that noise like it was yesterday (time 3:55 on video). I was in Rio Grande that day. The following day we went to Fajardo and the image still so fresh. I will show it to my kids. They don't know how devastating a hurricane can be. I bet that most youth and majority of population have no idea how to prepare or what to expect from a hurricane of this magnitude and size.
Absolutely chilling footage, I remember it like it was yesterday and my mother by my side comforting me while the houses around us flew away.... I can only thank God my family passed this unharmed... everything else was replaceable....
I was there when Hugo hit PR... It was like this video and worst.... Too bad this vid don't show almost a hole month with out running water and 3 month without electricity that we had to go tru after Hugo.... Great video... It brought me alot if memories
WOW!!! I have always heard of this hurricane but never seen footage, I was 2 years old when it came... So as you can expect I don't remember it! Thanks for this video!
That brought back lots of memories. We spent 9 hours shut in a small shower space. We lived in Guadeloupe and there were only a few of us that did not evacuate the marina. Wow. I never listen to my husband's advice now. When we finally came out to survey the damage it looked like we had been bombed. I am glad that we couldn't see what was going on outside as that would have been terrifying. The next day there were armed guards at the hospital so homeless people wouldn't move in and stay there.
Wow. Brings back memories. I was 9 when this hit Rio Grande and demolished everything. Everyone having to bathe in rivers in the aftermath. And i'll never forget being huddled in the bathroom with my parents and my cousin, hearing the roof trying to rip off, while everything outside seemed to disintegrate as the roof cables hold on.
Crazy to have a face to face encounter with the sheer destruction of mother nature.
Wow! I also remember this one! Horrible! When I finally went out for a drive I couldn't believe my eyes. I escaped hurricanes but now I live in the land of tornados.
Definitely... if the videographer is careful, you can use pretty much any camcorder to document a storm. The other chasers I was with during Hugo were all using camcorders with regular (non-waterproof) bodies... and they all performed perfectly. Of course, it does take a little more work to make sure the camera stays as dry as possible...lol
I was 10 when it happened, I was living in Rio Grande, and it take our house down, we had to live in my aunt house for almost a year, until my family finaly finished the reconstruction.
I was there when it happened, it was my first major hurricane, but it wasn't as bad as Georges, that one was the badest, meanest of them all...with Hugo we did'nt have a direct hit as we had with Georges, Hugo just grazed the Northeast coast,...Georges crossed directly through the island, from east to west, and the devastation was far worse than Hugo's...I survived both, and it was pretty scary...
I was there in Puerto Rico for Hugo. That was one hell of a storm. Trees and power lines were going down all over the place. Never saw anything like it.
Sure, the top back portion of the SP7 had a grey locking plate that clasped together the main body of the camera with the cassette door. To open, you would slide a latch on the top plate and simultaneously pull up, exposing a second clasp. By exerting a little pressure and pushing back on the released top plate, the second clasp would snap open releasing the tape door. Once the door was opened, the 8mm cassette slot would automatically extend and open (as long as the camera had power)
Hi Gavin - I actually will be working on re-mastering my Andrew footage in 2010 and will hopefully have a much higher quality clip up on YouTube in the next few months. In the short term, I'm currently working on my footage from the 1985 season, so more clips from those storms will be coming soon.
I still remember this Hugo like it was yesterday. I had to work the day after the night it struck S.C. If I didn't have to work, I would have drove down south from N.C. to experience it while it was weakening inland. It brought one good storm from a feeder band in the area I lived in at the time. But I ended experiencing Fran, Floyd, and Isabell a few years later. Now I'm chasing storms in the plains states. Tornadoes are easier to see, and I don't have to be in the storm to see it.
heh heh heh, it's kinda funny seeing you, Michael Laca, looking through the viewfinder of your Sony CCD-SP7 Handycam Sports, videotaping the radar with your reflection in it at 0:20
Wow I was one year old when this storm hit Summerville, SC. My mom told me that I slept through the whole storm lol. BTW, this is the best footage I've ever seen from the 80's...
Unfortunately, my SP7 met its end during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The tripod it was on was knocked over by the wind and, even though it continued to operate through the rest of the storm, when it hit the concrete the housing cracked and the tape transport mechanism was damaged. I wish I had kept some of my old camcorders from the mid-80's on, but the oldest camcorder I still have today is a Sony DCR-TRV33 from around 2003.
And whose fault do you think put mother in such a foul mood? Perhaps she's tired of having heartburn as hot as molten lava, gas, and acid reflux. Perhaps if you sacrificed a truckload of Maalox she'd be appeased and the eclipses would stop. Her ice pack is melting. Or perhaps nature's intelligent activity is our collective imagination playing itself out and if we all thought happy thoughts we could coexist peacefully.
Thanx. We need to keep remembering... About 1/2 hr South from the beach, Cupey (still San Juan but higher grounds) the winds made so much more damage... and yes MsGlorimar, the sound of the wind is HORRIFIC... And those terrible days (months) ahead after this 9/17...
Wao, I had 8 yrs old when Hugo. I remenber how exited because was my first hurracan ( i heard stories from my grandma about San Felipe 2 on 1928). Now when i see this video, i can how lucky i'm.. El Yunque has always protected us
I was only 2 months old. I was at the west side of the island. My mother told me that it was raining and there were winds but not so strong as the east side of the island
Wow this is really great video I remember I boarded up my house but I lived in Aguadilla thats the west coast of the Island for you non Boricuas. We did not get nothing compared to Santurce. It is a shame that this footage was not shown on the TWC. We are always like we say in PR "como el rabo del perro" we never get the full coverage we deserve as an Island. Thank you Michael for posting this, it has bought many memories of my college years.
wow I was only 1 years old when this hurracane pass P.R I dont remember anithing but my mom told me that there werw houses flying all over, that was huge.
i was 8 and living in st thomas virgin islands. i cant remember much of the storm really but what i do remember was 100% darkness and feeling the rain coming in on me. at one point we took a flashlight and shined it outside and by goodness we saw the school roof just lifted off like nothing...all of the videos that ive seen on here really cant compare to what we in the virgin islands went through i dont really remember how long we where without electricity but im sure it was bout 3 or 4 months
Great images. They actually made me remember the horrifying sound of those raging winds. I was one of the lucky ones who had to see Hugo live. I was 13 when it stroked Puerto Rico. Then, 9 years later in 1998, came Georges, another huge phenomenon that makes my most vivid hurricane memories. That's been our last big one, so far. But, something is true; El Yunque has always protected us :-D
I remember Hurricane Hugo well...thats the night I went into labor....was not expected....it was a nightmare....hardly any staff....lights flickering....power going out ....however had a beautiful, healthy baby girl....hard to believe it was 20 years ago....
I second that motion with not really worrying this season. The worst we had to worry about was Bill. And for Charleston, this August has been unseasonably mild. But hey, we still have September
I was in this hurricane in St.Croix USVI which the eye of the storm passed directly over us before reaching Puerto Rico. Ive been through Hurricane Hugo, Luis, and Marilyn and hugo has been the worse by far. All the news coverage on hugo is mostly about how hard it hit the carolinas but not much of how much worse it was in the islands. Fortunately the house I was in didnt get much damage but I cant say the same for my neighbors who lost just about everything.
This footage was originally shot on Hi8 media using a Sony CCD-SP7 Sports Handycam. The SP7 was introduced into the consumer market in 1988 and really stood out with a built-in, bright yellow, water-resistant body.
I was 5 years old with my grandma when Hugo pass by PR it was my first hurricane, I had no idea of the devastation it made. Well like my grandma said we are use to it... we know what to do. Hugo could of done more damage of what it did if it wasn't for "El Yunque". Remember we are a tropical island compare to a state... a hurricane devastates anything no matter what it is.
I was 19 when Hugo striked Puerto Rico. This hurricane caused a lot of damage. It was never covered with the "intensity" hurricane Katrina was covered, and it caused a lot more damage... I remember the landslide at Mameyes, so many people lost their homes, their lives. I've always thought that if the hand of God were to touch Puerto Rico it would have been with that hurricane.
"intensity"? You have to remember this was 1989. The web and even cable news was no where like it is now so that may be a reason why you think its coverage lacked "intensity". And if anything you should be thankful it lacked "intensity" as you were spared people washing away with with no help in sight.
And I doubt Hugo caused more damage as Katrina nearly destroyed a whole state and cost nearly 100 Billion dollars. Not to mention the hundreds that washed away.
HUGO did 7 Billion Dollers in Damage and at the time was the costliest natural disaster in the United States.. It is still in the top 5 or 10 worst natural disasters in the US
You say we were "spared" as we were spared of people washing away with no help in sight...
There was a "barrio" on the town of Ponce (that's to the south of San Juan), called Mameyes. The rains were so intense that the hills in Mameyes "dissolved" creating a massive landslide. More than 50 houses were "planted" on these hills. A lot of people lost their houses, lost their lives.
Hurricanes do that. They are natural disasters that can cause a lot of damage.
I am just saying the amount of coverage received for Katrina was insane. Larry King, CNN, Katrina: The Movie, etc. A lot of commercialization, because it was a US State.
Katrina cost the state 100 billion dollars in damages, because people didnt heed the call to move. They probably thought, "Well this is the us of a, and no hurricane is gonna move us... - whoop de doo..." and that was the result.
Katrina had a higher surge than Hugo which made the coastal damage more severe in Katrina. Plus that high surge hit a high populated in some cases below sea level area which caused the death toll to be higher.
But to Hugo's credit, he had much higher winds, therefore the inland damage in the Caribbean and South Carolina was much more extensive. But it's easier to hide from wind than water so the death toll was much less.
Thank you so much, Jason!!! Yeah... though the 70's and 80's were generally a very inactive period, there were some real monsters in there... and Hugo is on the short list...lol.
Damn, the damage at 5:00 and 6:45 looks almost as bad as Hurricane Andrew! I'm amazed at how much better the quality is, at least here on youtube. Now I need to see it on a big HD TV screen.
I know I chronically overestimate but the winds even before you head down into the hallway look to be sustained around 130mph.
I think they were close to that at their peak (while we were in the stairwell, or shortly after) with much higher gusts. Though it's sometimes hard to look solely at property damage to judge windspeed, based on the damage to vegetation... especially between 5:00 and 5:25... and again between 6:00 and 6:35 , you can tell that wind was extremely violent! The final version has a lot more damage scenes... and almost an hour of additional footage from before, during and after the storm.
wow the eyewall is amazing!!! you cant see anything!! and when you guys went inside the whistle of the air thought the halls that must have been scary but fun at the same time! haha
Thanks so much, Al! Yeah... during the peak of the eyewall, the rainfall was so intense it just blotted everything out into a solid grey wall of water... with that deep base roar and unbelievable, high-pitched wailing. I can definitely say we were all just a bit 'on edge' during the worst of it, lol.
Hugo was definitely a violent hurricane, but nowhere near the strongest, either in the Atlantic or the world. It's just a rare event to capture eyewall footage in an intense hurricane, especially in the daytime.
Breathtaking scenes, Michael .. invaluable historical document. The hurricanes of the 80's were barbarians seriously. The shriek of the wind sounds like horror film, and I imagine the people and their distress.
Thank you so much, Roy! I agree, several of the hurricanes in the 1980's were some of the all-time greats, especially in the Caribbean ... Allen, Gilbert, Hugo... all were monsters.
Awesome footage-- especially that eyewall action. It's almost a total whiteout. Just a solid, intense 'cane-- the kind we're all always dreaming about.
CycloneJosh 2 months ago
@CycloneJosh Thanks so much, Josh!!! Hugo was definitely an experience... I'm so happy I was able to get into this one. It would have been nice, back then, to have the type of cameras we have today... but, all in all, this was just an incredible chase. Glad you enjoyed the clip.
vmax135 2 months ago
Great footage, Michael! Your video is still in great condition!
ChaseSevereWeather 4 months ago
Wow
Zima4184 4 months ago
That was horrible my mom and dad was in that no one was expecting that here!!!
417polkadot 4 months ago
You just don't know what a hurricane is does and the aftermath.sleeping through a cat 3 or 4 hurricane with a family you are responsible is just so irresponsible and plain stupid.
alraga4249 5 months ago
wow very good job!
brendeska 5 months ago
my mom slept through that
sandstorm0819 5 months ago
the palm trees blowing look like hands playing the piano
JiggaWhere 5 months ago
thanks for the video remember that time in puerto rico it was har to remember i loose my house and every thing thanks again
xtrememv 5 months ago
I was almost 11 when Hugo hit the island ( the 19th is my birthday) I remember it like it was yesterday! the sound of the wind scared me at that age, know I realize that despite of all the material damage, we are a blessed island...
MultiPepe1010 5 months ago
@MultiPepe1010 I loved ur post. I was only 1 when it hit, but i witnessed the rest of the Hurricans especially George, it was a Pretty bad Hurricane, but we were blessed.
beeutewfull 5 months ago
Ive been thru Hugo & Georges and believe me..Hugo was the worst of them both..for the first time of my life I felt real horror..and that sound is the real thing..It still makes me hav goosebumps all over..Im havin it right now +_+
70sROmeO 5 months ago 2
I was 11 when this hurricane came. It was horrible. I live on the East area of Puerto Rico. It was a monster !!!
mmxpr 5 months ago
i was actually born oct 6 '89 in pr almost born when the hurricane was passing by lol
dorkysss 6 months ago
yo para diciembre arranque en un avion para Texas....jamas e querido pasar esa situcion otra ves....Eso fue horrible en mi vida nunca mire algo tan feo.......dios me los cuide que nunca mas les peque niguno mas......
colunga78299 6 months ago
Chuck Norris farted again.
Killercore20 7 months ago
I was 11 years old when this hurricane passed by in PR and will always remember the howling sound and destruction. A whole generation had passed without experiencing a hurricane and many didn´t take it seriously until it came upon us. We had no water or electricity for about 2 weeks afterwards,
JorgeInternacional 8 months ago
What is that hammering noise at the very start of the video?
boomerang2455 8 months ago
@boomerang2455 That's a teletype machine in the San Juan Weather Service Office printing a bulletin just to left of where I was taking that shot.
vmax135 8 months ago
WOW! At 4:39 I started being pulled toward my computer screen! Amazing!
WhiteLionKing10 9 months ago
@listorres394: I was in San Sebastian, the sun was bright and the day was awesome. We were actually planing on going to the beach. We went to visit with friends and never saw a drop of rain or a heavy breeze.
halamelmamerro 11 months ago
I was living in puerto rico when that hurrican hit the island .... I was just 13 years old.... Tuff time it was but that experience made me grow up quick
truenasty1 11 months ago
It is the truth, I don't mind if you believe it or not, I don't have to lie about this. I just gave my own exprience, that's it. And I think we all can write comments withou being so nasty.
listorres394 11 months ago 2
Incredible footage, Michael! I saw the scenes on many documentations, even with an interview with Jim Leonard. This is one of the most incredible wind footage on the internet (together with some core footage of hurricane Charlie). Can't believe that Hugo made an equal strong landfall in North Carolina.
germanhypercane 11 months ago
you're nuts man! I love it!
tudssquadbuisness 11 months ago
I was living in Ponce. While Hugo was destroying everything in the North, we had a bright sun there. Is incredible the destruction it caused, I never imagined it so.
listorres394 11 months ago
@listorres394 Bright sun in Ponce my balls, as if the island was so big, come on. Indeed, size wise P.Rico is no Saint Thomas but it is no Cuba either. If a Hurricane hits P.R., more so a size 24 radios like Hugo; rest assure, it is felt in ALL Puerto Rico.
brunettechocha 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@brunettechocha It is the truth, I don't mind if you believe it or not, I don't have to lie about this. I just gave my own exprience, that's it. And I think we all can write comments withou being so nasty.
listorres394 11 months ago
I HAVE SOME FOOTAGE AFTER HUGO WHEN MY FAM CAME TO SEE OUR HOUSE AFTER THE STORM
nannystarr 1 year ago
@nannystarr Like to see it, if you posted any video. Thanks!
TheOakwoodfarm 11 months ago
I was 9 and remember the zinc plates flying, the fast wind, the hard raining, after the hurricane the trees in the floor, the roofless wood houses, etc. I lived with my parents in Carolina, PR. My youngest brother's birthday was this day and I clearly remember that we sang "Happy Birthday to you..." with a cupcake and a little candle and he asked for his present, our dad answered him "Hey, what about all those winds and rain?" Sad moment for some people, but I have that good memory of this day.
grafikko 1 year ago
I was only months old and in Aibonito Puerto Rico when it made landfall. You guys do an excellent job covering these monsters from mother nature. Keep up the good work and I hope you guys do some work here in Florida for the upcoming 2011 season. I was here in West Palm Beach for Frances Jeanne and Wilma those were back to back landfalls in 2 years time crazy stuff huh.
Edortiz2010 1 year ago
I was only months old and in Aibonito Puerto Rico when it made landfall. You guys do an excellent job covering these monsters from mother nature. Keep up the good work and I hope you guys do some work here in Florida for the upcoming 2011 season.
Edortiz2010 1 year ago
And by the way...that's not a siren @ 3:54 that's the wind and it will go on for hours and hours driving you CRAZY!!!!
MoeandTony 1 year ago
@MoeandTony WHAT IS THAT ALARM FROM?
nannystarr 1 year ago
@nannystarr I think is the howling of the wind.
naldo5k 10 months ago
I was 19 and living in Fajardo, PR. This hurricane caught us by surprise, it was suppose to go SE by Salinas and made a last minute turn NE. It was like 5 hrs of non stop destruction. 1 month without power or running water after the storm. Brings back sad memories.
MoeandTony 1 year ago
sorry about posting twice :)
MovieQueen37 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
My husband always jokes that I should go to Puerto Rico during Hurricane season. I love watching disaster movies so he thinks it would be a cool experience. After watching this video, it would not be cool...it would be terrifying. I can't believe you were able to get this footage. It felt so real that i can honestly say that I have come as close to a hurricane as I want to get. Thanks :)
MovieQueen37 1 year ago
My husband always jokes that I should go to Puerto Rico during Hurricane season. I love watching disaster movies so he thinks it would be a cool experience. After watching this video, it would not be cool...it would be terrifying. I can't believe you were able to get this footage. It felt so real that i can honestly say that I have come as close to a hurricane as I want to get. Thanks :)
MovieQueen37 1 year ago
Awesome video. It gives me chills, I'm from South Carolina, which was Hugo's next destination.
springs3734 1 year ago
Ok i've always wanted to experience a hurricane but after this i changed my mind.
cia5000 1 year ago
Old memories from Hurricane Hugo. I cannot believe is been more than 20 years. I was 15 years old, but I remember that noise like it was yesterday (time 3:55 on video). I was in Rio Grande that day. The following day we went to Fajardo and the image still so fresh. I will show it to my kids. They don't know how devastating a hurricane can be. I bet that most youth and majority of population have no idea how to prepare or what to expect from a hurricane of this magnitude and size.
cariduro1974 1 year ago
Absolutely chilling footage, I remember it like it was yesterday and my mother by my side comforting me while the houses around us flew away.... I can only thank God my family passed this unharmed... everything else was replaceable....
bbboipr 1 year ago
I Was 7 Months Old When The Hurricane Passed By. Very Nice Footage!
MaliciousNocturne 1 year ago
I was just an infant at the time this happened.
deenage 1 year ago
Best hurricane video there is.
bigbadbruins1 1 year ago
yo tenia como 6 años cuando paso hugo, todavia recuerdo esos momentos,
hemos tenido suerte en PR de q no ha venido uno huracan en tantos años
TONGUASO 1 year ago
Awesome video.
HowsaBowsaYowsa 1 year ago
Hell yeah I wasnt born by this time hahah
johnUS7 1 year ago
I was there when Hugo hit PR... It was like this video and worst.... Too bad this vid don't show almost a hole month with out running water and 3 month without electricity that we had to go tru after Hugo.... Great video... It brought me alot if memories
bigtattoorick 1 year ago
That was the most amazing thing i have ever seen.........was Hugo the strongest storm u ever documented???
rbutler89 1 year ago
WOW!!! I have always heard of this hurricane but never seen footage, I was 2 years old when it came... So as you can expect I don't remember it! Thanks for this video!
norvakos 1 year ago
wow, i'm impressed.
TechMix93 1 year ago
you can hear the evilness of that hurricane...
noemirose 1 year ago
That brought back lots of memories. We spent 9 hours shut in a small shower space. We lived in Guadeloupe and there were only a few of us that did not evacuate the marina. Wow. I never listen to my husband's advice now. When we finally came out to survey the damage it looked like we had been bombed. I am glad that we couldn't see what was going on outside as that would have been terrifying. The next day there were armed guards at the hospital so homeless people wouldn't move in and stay there.
TheOakwoodfarm 1 year ago
@TheOakwoodfarm DITOO
nannystarr 1 year ago
anybody up for some kite flying lmao (:3
zerosix1786 1 year ago
i hate water damage
zerosix1786 1 year ago
this was my first hurricane at the age of 9 and now im 30 funny how you can remeber things that happen that long ago
lilbearsdad1 1 year ago
i remeber this huricane it was my first 1 at the age of nine
lilbearsdad1 1 year ago
for some reason this hurrican always stuck in my mind outta all the rest in the past.
and i live in cananda. i just remember all the hype and devastation and the poor u.s gettin pounded. hugo was huge.
trailbikerharo 1 year ago
140 mph? yer a better man than me Gunga Din!
mocus1 1 year ago
Wow. Brings back memories. I was 9 when this hit Rio Grande and demolished everything. Everyone having to bathe in rivers in the aftermath. And i'll never forget being huddled in the bathroom with my parents and my cousin, hearing the roof trying to rip off, while everything outside seemed to disintegrate as the roof cables hold on.
Crazy to have a face to face encounter with the sheer destruction of mother nature.
MrsXhavier 1 year ago
Wow! I also remember this one! Horrible! When I finally went out for a drive I couldn't believe my eyes. I escaped hurricanes but now I live in the land of tornados.
elsiemillan 1 year ago
Yo vivia en San Juan para ese Huracan.... me acuerdo como si hubiese sido ayer.... !!!!!
saborboricuapr1 1 year ago
i was a kid in canovanas on all of this pretty amazing how destructive that day was
saocodemonte 1 year ago
lol my b-days on sept. 17........scary...
Cheezwizhi9 1 year ago
good remastering cant believe this was taken 20 years ago.
venichen1 1 year ago
@venichen1 Thanks so much!!! I can't believe two decades have gone by either!
vmax135 1 year ago
Hurricane season just started here, thanks for the video and greetings from sunny Jamaica.
Lanny615 1 year ago
My firts son had one month....
jeanpr114 1 year ago
MI PRIMER HURACAN FUE GEORGES Y FUE CUANDO TENIA 1 A~O.
BUEN TRABAJO
20Mako 1 year ago
2:16
6:12
2:16
1044
onezerofourfour
ancientofdaysur u likely
DoubleDutchBust 1 year ago
where was this in america i can not remember
StrongerMattio 1 year ago
Me acuerdo de este dia. Yo tenia 15, fue bien fuerte. Gracias a Dios sobrevivimos.
75gurabo 1 year ago
my mom survived she`s from puerto rico so am i
E2EKI3L 1 year ago
i was 1 year old when that happend
vampire557 1 year ago
my first hurrcane was georges i think lol
xAnifumaProductions 1 year ago
INSANE and FUCKED UP!!!!!!
jpsavage117 1 year ago
but it's still good to be on the same side though... lol
MedelProductions 1 year ago
Do you think a regular Sony 8mm camcorder can survive this massive and destructive storm??? because yours was splashproof.
MedelProductions 1 year ago
Definitely... if the videographer is careful, you can use pretty much any camcorder to document a storm. The other chasers I was with during Hugo were all using camcorders with regular (non-waterproof) bodies... and they all performed perfectly. Of course, it does take a little more work to make sure the camera stays as dry as possible...lol
vmax135 1 year ago
I was 10 when it happened, I was living in Rio Grande, and it take our house down, we had to live in my aunt house for almost a year, until my family finaly finished the reconstruction.
alipaoani 1 year ago
I was there when it happened, it was my first major hurricane, but it wasn't as bad as Georges, that one was the badest, meanest of them all...with Hugo we did'nt have a direct hit as we had with Georges, Hugo just grazed the Northeast coast,...Georges crossed directly through the island, from east to west, and the devastation was far worse than Hugo's...I survived both, and it was pretty scary...
LilithDiabolique 1 year ago
I don't think I'd wanna intercept a hurricane JUST yet , lol
Jamiesyme999 1 year ago
4:00 sound like mother nature screaming or maybe hugo is pissed off screamin iunno but its fucked
666insanefreak666 2 years ago
I survived Hurricane Hugo (in Charlotte NC). It was awesome.
jenjerliz 2 years ago
I wish i was THERE !!
UltimateChase 2 years ago
Big Bad Hugo, who could ever forget THAT one!
ilovetogofast88 2 years ago
i was in that hurricane. but not in the video.
boi9031 2 years ago
I was there in Puerto Rico for Hugo. That was one hell of a storm. Trees and power lines were going down all over the place. Never saw anything like it.
reggaetonqueen380 2 years ago
This is just breath taking footage!
5*
teckim 2 years ago
lol at 6:23 ur car is dirty xD
MedelProductions 2 years ago
thank you so much!
MedelProductions 2 years ago
Also, do you remember how to put a 8mm cassette into the SP7?
MedelProductions 2 years ago
Sure, the top back portion of the SP7 had a grey locking plate that clasped together the main body of the camera with the cassette door. To open, you would slide a latch on the top plate and simultaneously pull up, exposing a second clasp. By exerting a little pressure and pushing back on the released top plate, the second clasp would snap open releasing the tape door. Once the door was opened, the 8mm cassette slot would automatically extend and open (as long as the camera had power)
vmax135 2 years ago
@vmax135 Do you have any videos on VHS or dvd?
tudssquadbuisness 11 months ago
Hey vmax, do you think you can do a shorter and higher quality video of Hurricane Andrew??
MedelProductions 2 years ago
Hi Gavin - I actually will be working on re-mastering my Andrew footage in 2010 and will hopefully have a much higher quality clip up on YouTube in the next few months. In the short term, I'm currently working on my footage from the 1985 season, so more clips from those storms will be coming soon.
vmax135 2 years ago
i was in my grandmas house when it hit pr. i still remember the kfc roof on the highway afterwards. CRazyyyy
jreyes30 2 years ago
I still remember this Hugo like it was yesterday. I had to work the day after the night it struck S.C. If I didn't have to work, I would have drove down south from N.C. to experience it while it was weakening inland. It brought one good storm from a feeder band in the area I lived in at the time. But I ended experiencing Fran, Floyd, and Isabell a few years later. Now I'm chasing storms in the plains states. Tornadoes are easier to see, and I don't have to be in the storm to see it.
Torn80cj 2 years ago
best video ever
jamaicanweatherman 2 years ago
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
vmax135 2 years ago
i was 4 when this happend!
vagabunda50 2 years ago
Did you have a Hurricane Party?
tealmarlin 2 years ago
it was fun time hope it happens again I always enjoy the fresh air during hurricanes.Thank you mother nature for such a beautiful gift!
Retroexperto 2 years ago
heh heh heh, it's kinda funny seeing you, Michael Laca, looking through the viewfinder of your Sony CCD-SP7 Handycam Sports, videotaping the radar with your reflection in it at 0:20
MedelProductions 2 years ago
Yeah... it's not hard to pick out that bright yellow casing...lol.
vmax135 2 years ago
Afraid to ask.......but, how was your day?
rturnerful 2 years ago
andeeholden: And this is the best use of language you can come up with?
rturnerful 2 years ago
Whats the difference between a male named hurricane and a female one? Is it just the way it blows?
ChrissyboyH44 2 years ago
I was living in st.kitts at the time... was pretty grim.
orangeedo 2 years ago
Wow I was one year old when this storm hit Summerville, SC. My mom told me that I slept through the whole storm lol. BTW, this is the best footage I've ever seen from the 80's...
wildcat10 2 years ago
Thanks so much, Trevor!
vmax135 2 years ago
Hey, do you still have the Sony CCD-SP7 Sports Handycam or any other camcorders from the past?
MedelProductions 2 years ago
Unfortunately, my SP7 met its end during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The tripod it was on was knocked over by the wind and, even though it continued to operate through the rest of the storm, when it hit the concrete the housing cracked and the tape transport mechanism was damaged. I wish I had kept some of my old camcorders from the mid-80's on, but the oldest camcorder I still have today is a Sony DCR-TRV33 from around 2003.
vmax135 2 years ago
lo que sucede que la gente no vio el Huracan
Hontencia cuando paso por Ponce PR la
noche del sep.18.1996
la misma imagenes pero de noche,mucho peor esenario
SB9P4 2 years ago
Eso lo vivi yo en San Juan P.R.
No se lo deseo a nadie.
TERRIBLE!
SB9P4 2 years ago
that was the biggest Raped 4 PR pero come on!!!!!!!! 11 year in row without taking a huracan BS!!!!!!!!!!!
xXTheDanteXx 2 years ago
sounds like mother nature is pissed off and screaming with force
666insanefreak666 2 years ago
And whose fault do you think put mother in such a foul mood? Perhaps she's tired of having heartburn as hot as molten lava, gas, and acid reflux. Perhaps if you sacrificed a truckload of Maalox she'd be appeased and the eclipses would stop. Her ice pack is melting. Or perhaps nature's intelligent activity is our collective imagination playing itself out and if we all thought happy thoughts we could coexist peacefully.
HighestRank 2 years ago
Head spinning footage, WOW!
99oildrops 2 years ago
Hugo Mcllenanville Wando high - forgot about this ...our family homes in CHS made it through
diedra 2 years ago
Thanx. We need to keep remembering... About 1/2 hr South from the beach, Cupey (still San Juan but higher grounds) the winds made so much more damage... and yes MsGlorimar, the sound of the wind is HORRIFIC... And those terrible days (months) ahead after this 9/17...
Ufff!
MsFlipper 2 years ago
I was there for Hugo on St.Croix. It was no joke!
mattdawg83686 2 years ago
Absolutely incredible video!
mjhughes23 2 years ago
4:34, OMFG look at that "rain"!!!!! :o now that's a REAL disaster,truely horrible
pharodox 2 years ago
i have the full dvd from the producers of that video. the winds at 4:34 were 155mph...borderline cat 5
jtm12180 2 years ago
Wao, I had 8 yrs old when Hugo. I remenber how exited because was my first hurracan ( i heard stories from my grandma about San Felipe 2 on 1928). Now when i see this video, i can how lucky i'm.. El Yunque has always protected us
guaraguao81 2 years ago
very awesome video
esponjabbpr 2 years ago
I was only 2 months old. I was at the west side of the island. My mother told me that it was raining and there were winds but not so strong as the east side of the island
BorriPR 2 years ago
Wow this is really great video I remember I boarded up my house but I lived in Aguadilla thats the west coast of the Island for you non Boricuas. We did not get nothing compared to Santurce. It is a shame that this footage was not shown on the TWC. We are always like we say in PR "como el rabo del perro" we never get the full coverage we deserve as an Island. Thank you Michael for posting this, it has bought many memories of my college years.
velamadera 2 years ago
wow I was only 1 years old when this hurracane pass P.R I dont remember anithing but my mom told me that there werw houses flying all over, that was huge.
oskie011 2 years ago
i was 8 and living in st thomas virgin islands. i cant remember much of the storm really but what i do remember was 100% darkness and feeling the rain coming in on me. at one point we took a flashlight and shined it outside and by goodness we saw the school roof just lifted off like nothing...all of the videos that ive seen on here really cant compare to what we in the virgin islands went through i dont really remember how long we where without electricity but im sure it was bout 3 or 4 months
AMCVI 2 years ago
Great images. They actually made me remember the horrifying sound of those raging winds. I was one of the lucky ones who had to see Hugo live. I was 13 when it stroked Puerto Rico. Then, 9 years later in 1998, came Georges, another huge phenomenon that makes my most vivid hurricane memories. That's been our last big one, so far. But, something is true; El Yunque has always protected us :-D
MsGlorimar 2 years ago
That was my last hurricane in PR! Soo destructive!
makidzzmaama 2 years ago
I remember Hurricane Hugo well...thats the night I went into labor....was not expected....it was a nightmare....hardly any staff....lights flickering....power going out ....however had a beautiful, healthy baby girl....hard to believe it was 20 years ago....
trouble29720 2 years ago 2
Mine was born 2 months b4, i wouldnt want to b in ur place!
makidzzmaama 2 years ago
I second that motion with not really worrying this season. The worst we had to worry about was Bill. And for Charleston, this August has been unseasonably mild. But hey, we still have September
eivom 2 years ago
Dude, the worst seasons are September - October
UsherMoore 2 years ago
I was in this hurricane in St.Croix USVI which the eye of the storm passed directly over us before reaching Puerto Rico. Ive been through Hurricane Hugo, Luis, and Marilyn and hugo has been the worse by far. All the news coverage on hugo is mostly about how hard it hit the carolinas but not much of how much worse it was in the islands. Fortunately the house I was in didnt get much damage but I cant say the same for my neighbors who lost just about everything.
adcm200083 2 years ago
all these devastating hurricanes seem to happen in september. wonder what will happen this year???
ela1978x 2 years ago
diablo ke kosa mas cabrona
xXJoSeGaBrIeLXx 2 years ago
Excuse me, but what kind of video camera or camcorder did you use to videotape this? Please respond vmax135!
(I want the exact tipe of the model of camera please :D)
Hammerbulb 2 years ago
This footage was originally shot on Hi8 media using a Sony CCD-SP7 Sports Handycam. The SP7 was introduced into the consumer market in 1988 and really stood out with a built-in, bright yellow, water-resistant body.
vmax135 2 years ago
que horrible, no quisiera vivir algo asi nunca más
odiaz25 2 years ago
I just watched a few of your uploads. You are quite an accomplished videographer. A pleasure to see your work!
ancientofdays12 2 years ago 7
id like to swim in that! I BEILEVE I CAN FLY!!!
SincerelyYoursMusicc 2 years ago
What a storm! Listen to that wind. Take it from a hardcore hurricane chaser...you've got nerves of steel if that doesn't scare the devil out of you.
TornadoWarning 2 years ago 5
Luquillo, Puerto Rico -I looked there it's like Christmas every year
karlosms1 2 years ago
horror
karlosms1 2 years ago
WoW O.O I didnt know it was so heavy o.O
kyhomi19 2 years ago
I was 5 years old with my grandma when Hugo pass by PR it was my first hurricane, I had no idea of the devastation it made. Well like my grandma said we are use to it... we know what to do. Hugo could of done more damage of what it did if it wasn't for "El Yunque". Remember we are a tropical island compare to a state... a hurricane devastates anything no matter what it is.
Sasukian 2 years ago
and i tought we had big storms in norway O_O , that looks freakin scary to be in man . nice vid 5/5
lollemaker 2 years ago
I was 19 when Hugo striked Puerto Rico. This hurricane caused a lot of damage. It was never covered with the "intensity" hurricane Katrina was covered, and it caused a lot more damage... I remember the landslide at Mameyes, so many people lost their homes, their lives. I've always thought that if the hand of God were to touch Puerto Rico it would have been with that hurricane.
kildjean 2 years ago
"intensity"? You have to remember this was 1989. The web and even cable news was no where like it is now so that may be a reason why you think its coverage lacked "intensity". And if anything you should be thankful it lacked "intensity" as you were spared people washing away with with no help in sight.
And I doubt Hugo caused more damage as Katrina nearly destroyed a whole state and cost nearly 100 Billion dollars. Not to mention the hundreds that washed away.
Frenth 2 years ago
HUGO did 7 Billion Dollers in Damage and at the time was the costliest natural disaster in the United States.. It is still in the top 5 or 10 worst natural disasters in the US
liquidstl 2 years ago
WOW O.O :O
kyhomi19 2 years ago
You say we were "spared" as we were spared of people washing away with no help in sight...
There was a "barrio" on the town of Ponce (that's to the south of San Juan), called Mameyes. The rains were so intense that the hills in Mameyes "dissolved" creating a massive landslide. More than 50 houses were "planted" on these hills. A lot of people lost their houses, lost their lives.
kildjean 2 years ago
Hurricanes do that. They are natural disasters that can cause a lot of damage.
I am just saying the amount of coverage received for Katrina was insane. Larry King, CNN, Katrina: The Movie, etc. A lot of commercialization, because it was a US State.
Katrina cost the state 100 billion dollars in damages, because people didnt heed the call to move. They probably thought, "Well this is the us of a, and no hurricane is gonna move us... - whoop de doo..." and that was the result.
kildjean 2 years ago
Katrina had a higher surge than Hugo which made the coastal damage more severe in Katrina. Plus that high surge hit a high populated in some cases below sea level area which caused the death toll to be higher.
But to Hugo's credit, he had much higher winds, therefore the inland damage in the Caribbean and South Carolina was much more extensive. But it's easier to hide from wind than water so the death toll was much less.
ckself 2 years ago
watch - 1:26 "which make it a very strong storm " lol
MEnubnub 2 years ago
Yeah... I've always thought that comment from the newscaster was a bit of an understatement... lol!
vmax135 2 years ago
haha
MEnubnub 2 years ago
Such incredible footage! Great work! Isn't it frightening how this occurred in an inactive hurricane cycle?
SevereTstormFan 2 years ago
Thank you so much, Jason!!! Yeah... though the 70's and 80's were generally a very inactive period, there were some real monsters in there... and Hugo is on the short list...lol.
vmax135 2 years ago
Damn, the damage at 5:00 and 6:45 looks almost as bad as Hurricane Andrew! I'm amazed at how much better the quality is, at least here on youtube. Now I need to see it on a big HD TV screen.
I know I chronically overestimate but the winds even before you head down into the hallway look to be sustained around 130mph.
CyrusNixes 2 years ago
I think they were close to that at their peak (while we were in the stairwell, or shortly after) with much higher gusts. Though it's sometimes hard to look solely at property damage to judge windspeed, based on the damage to vegetation... especially between 5:00 and 5:25... and again between 6:00 and 6:35 , you can tell that wind was extremely violent! The final version has a lot more damage scenes... and almost an hour of additional footage from before, during and after the storm.
vmax135 2 years ago
Awesome footage!!!
TwapsDutch 2 years ago
wow the eyewall is amazing!!! you cant see anything!! and when you guys went inside the whistle of the air thought the halls that must have been scary but fun at the same time! haha
ajatwister 2 years ago
Thanks so much, Al! Yeah... during the peak of the eyewall, the rainfall was so intense it just blotted everything out into a solid grey wall of water... with that deep base roar and unbelievable, high-pitched wailing. I can definitely say we were all just a bit 'on edge' during the worst of it, lol.
vmax135 2 years ago
Is it the strongest hurricane in the whole world??? 160mph )MG...
MEnubnub 2 years ago
Hugo was definitely a violent hurricane, but nowhere near the strongest, either in the Atlantic or the world. It's just a rare event to capture eyewall footage in an intense hurricane, especially in the daytime.
vmax135 2 years ago
but in planet uranus has 2000kph winds (lol =D)
MEnubnub 2 years ago
btw hugo is my friend's name he likes to sleep so i think this time was his only time that he was awake =D
MEnubnub 2 years ago
Breathtaking scenes, Michael .. invaluable historical document. The hurricanes of the 80's were barbarians seriously. The shriek of the wind sounds like horror film, and I imagine the people and their distress.
real0988 2 years ago
Thank you so much, Roy! I agree, several of the hurricanes in the 1980's were some of the all-time greats, especially in the Caribbean ... Allen, Gilbert, Hugo... all were monsters.
vmax135 2 years ago
Were can i purchase a copy?
Hurricane23mph 2 years ago